


Tome (Together)

by rubberduckyone



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Adorable Grogu | Baby Yoda, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Loss, Love Confessions, Sadness, Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:14:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28236015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubberduckyone/pseuds/rubberduckyone
Summary: Chapter 16 Spoilers! The two of knew the time was coming when you would have to say goodbye to the little womp-rat,  but didn't expect for that day to be today. It was a good thing you still had each other. Just a little rewrite of what happened in the final chapter of Season 2.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Reader
Kudos: 39





	Tome (Together)

**Author's Note:**

> I loved Chapter 16, it was... *chefs kiss*, but there was one thing that really bugged me that I wanted to add toward the end and then I figured why not make it a reader-insert? Please let me know what you think! I've already started a story that could probably work as a prequel to this one-shot, It's called Grow As We Go. Chapter 1 is posted. Check it out if your interested. Anyway, I cried while writing this. I'm sorry for any grammar errors. I tried catching them all. I hope you enjoy!

Your heart was pounding painfully in your beskar covered chest as you stared at the lock doors of the bridge the five of you had just taken over on Moff Gideon’s ship. Bo-Katan, Kosha, Cara, Fennec, and yourself all stood spread apart waiting for any sign of Din or Moff Gideon. 

“So, you’re in love with him?” Bo-Katan asked, breaking the silence, as she tilted her head towards you. 

You had known her ever since you were a child growing up on Mandalore and had often looked up to her as a mentor until she joined the Death Watch. You hadn’t seen her since you and your father escaped Mandalore during the Great Purge when you were just a teenager. You heard stories and rumors of her wanting to take back the Darksaber amongst your tribe that resided in Takodana, but that’s all you thought they were until you and Din found her on Trask. 

“Yes,” you answered without hesitation as you reached up and took off your helmet allowing an intricate braid to fall over your shoulder, as you placed it down in an empty seat. You had crossed paths with Din once before on Tatoonie, when you had stopped him from taking a bounty you were holding under your protection. You somehow convinced him to help you out instead. That had been before Grogu was even in the picture; before Din had called upon you for aide when he went to claim the child as a bounty. There had been no sparks or no real interest during that time, but having Grogu in both of your care changed things between the two of you, or at least for you it had. You had slowly found yourself falling for the tough bounty hunter who you had once only known as Mando. He slowly began to let his barriers down around you and the child as you journeyed through the galaxy trying to protect Grogu and find his kind. During that time you found yourself falling in love with the man that was underneath the armor. He was soft, caring, and honorable. You could tell at times he wanted to open up more to you, to let you in and see the real him, but he simply didn’t know how. “Is it that obvious?” 

“Perhaps a little bit,” she replied in a teasing tone before adding, “Does he love you back?”

Your eyes faltered away from the door as you glanced behind you toward Bo-Katana. You knew Din had grown to care about you deeply, but to what extent you weren’t entirely sure of. You both had shared small moments between the two you, moments that came and went in a blink of an eye, that gave you hope that perhaps he might have felt the same way as you. 

“I- I don’t know.” 

“You’re kidding, right?” Cara quickly interjected in disbelieve as she gave her full attention to you. “Anyone with eyes could see that he does. Besides, if he doesn’t then I owe Karga two hundred credits.” 

You shook your head wishing that you hadn’t confessed your feelings so freely. There were more important things to think about and discuss at the moment. All you wanted was to have Din and Grogu back safe and sound so you could figure out your next move as a clan. Finding a new ship would be a good starting point you thought just as the doors slide open. 

“Mando! Grogu!” Your feet had already taken you to stand next to Din before you could even think properly as you gently grabbed the child with a sigh of relief. The heavy weight that had surrounded your heart ever since the child had been taken was almost instantly lifted upon seeing him. 

“Are you both ok?” you asked as you looked up at Din, unknown tears briming your bottom lashes as you lips brushed over Grogu’s fuzzy head to comfort yourself. Din nodded his head as he stared down at your face. You had revealed your face to him and the child long ago, having been taught a different way to follow the creed than him. At first he despised it and even got in an argument with you over the whole thing when he had dared to call you an imposter. He realized he was jealous of how freely you took off your Mandalorian helmet without a care in the world, while you played with the child or relaxed around the Razor Crest. He wanted the same freedom, but couldn’t bring himself to do it, until he was forced to with Mayfeld. He had wished that your pretty eyes had been the first pair to look upon his face as an adult; as a man. 

“We’re fine,” he reassured as he pushed Moff Gideon forward. Giving a nod you allowed your eyes to drift down to the Darksaber in Din’s hand and then back up to where Moff Gideon was standing with his hands cuffed in front of him. Holding the child close to your chest with one arm you used the other to land a punch to the slimy bastard’s face, sending him flying to the ground as Grogu let out a soft coo in approval. You understood why Din had brought him in alive, but that didn’t stop the rage from coursing through you. He had nearly killed Din in Navarro, destroyed the Razor Crest, and took Grogu from you and Din. If it had been up to you he would’ve already been dead. 

“What happened?” Bo-Katan asked when she caught sight of the Darksaber. 

“He brought him in alive, that’s what happened,” Cara answered as she placed a hand on your pauldron, as she looked at Din with a smirk. “And now the New Republic is gonna have to double the payment, though I have a half of a mind to let you finish him off,” she added as her eyes shifted back to you.

“That’s not what she’s talking about,”Moff Gideon spoke up from his place on the floor as he tried to wipe the blood from his nose with his cuffed hands. He turned his attention to Bo-Katan. “What don’t you kill him now and take it?” 

You had an idea of where he was going with this. 

“It’s yours now,” he told Din with a pointed look. 

“What is?” Din asked with a tilt of his helmet, still not understanding what he was going on about. 

“The Darksaber. It belongs to you.”

You knew of the stories and the history. You had learned of them when you were but a child. Moff Gideon was annoyingly right…

Din disarmed the Darksaber and walked up to Bo-Katan, offering up the weapon. “Now…it belongs to her.” 

“She can’t take it,” Gideon said way too happily. “It has to be won in battle. In order for her to wield the Darksaber again, she would need to defeat you in combat,” he explained as he leaned his elbow against the steps he was laying on. 

“I yield, it’s yours,” Din insisted once again. You could tell he was getting annoyed that this was still in discussion. Din could care less about the throne of Mandalore. He just wanted to get out of there with you and the child. 

“Oh, no,” Gideon chuckled as he slowly began to stand up once again, putting you on high alert as you watched him. “It doesn’t work that way. The Darksaber doesn’t have power. The story does. Without that blade, she’s a pretender to the throne.”

“He’s right,” Bo-Katan confirmed almost remorsefully. 

It was at that moment that everything clicked. Moff Gideon had planned this from the beginning. That’s why he hadn’t been on the bridge when you had all arrived. That is why he had wanted to be found by Din first, so that the Darksaber would’ve at least been taken by him instead of Bo-Katan. 

It was true that she had been given the Darksaber many years ago by Sabine Wren, but times were different now. She had already been defeated and lost the Darksaber once. Now, she was going to have to truly prove her worth if she wanted to hold it in her possession again in order to rule Mandalore and unite the people. Would she take Gideon’s suggestion and try to kill Din for it though? You would die before you allowed that to happen. 

“Come on, just take it,” Din demanded Bo-Katan with an irritated bite to his voice, but before anything else could be said on the manner alarms started going off. 

“Well, perhaps she’ll get another crack at it,” Gideon added smugly as everyone spread out to try to figure out what was going on. 

“The ray shields have been breached,” Fennec announced as she checked one of the control panels. “We’re being boarded.” 

“How many life forms?” asked Bo-Katan as everyone’s attention shifting away from the Darksaber to the problem at hand.

“None,” Fennec replied with a grim frown. 

“You’re about to face off with the dark troopers,” Gideon said as he turned his body toward Din with a smirk. “You had your hands full with one. Let’s see how you do against a platoon.”

Having had enough of him you grabbed Gideon by the shoulder with your free hand and shoved him to the floor roughly. 

“Shut up and stay down,” you warned as you moved to find a safe spot for Grogu. Din followed as you placed the exhausted looking child on the floor, up against a panel to rest on. 

“Don’t worry, kid. We’re going to get you out of here,” Din reassured him as he gave him a pat on the head before laying his hand upon your shoulder and giving it a tap. 

“Stay here, Grogu,” you added as you gave his ear a gentle little rub, just like you did when you tried getting him to go to sleep, “Don’t move from this spot.” 

You turned around and followed Din as you grabbed your helmet from the chair you had set it in. 

“Seal the blast doors,” you demanded as you watched the dark troopers approached the final hallway on one of the screens. Kosha nodded her head as she punched the button, sealing the doors and creating one more barrier between all of you and the droids.

This was it. They were there. Everyone readied themselves for whatever was going to happen. You pulled your helmet on and grabbed both of your blasters from their holsters and moved to stand next to Din at the front. 

“Use the Darksaber if you have to,” you whispered to him as you raised your blasters and took aim at the door. He gave a nod as the pounding at the door began, echoing throughout the room. 

“You have an impressive fire team protecting you,” Gideon began, “but I think we all know, after a valiant stand everyone in this room will be dead, but me and the child.” 

Din glanced back at him briefly before turning back around as the doors began to morph from the punches they were receiving. Eyes focused on the door you all waited for the worst to come, but than another alarm began to sound off. You turned much like everyone else to see what was going. 

“An X-Wing.” 

It zoomed past the window of the bridge just as Cara could be heard saying, “One X-wing? Great. We’re saved.”

Bo-Katan stocked over to the controls. “Incoming craft, identify yourself.”

No response was given, but all of the sudden the pounding stopped and the room became silent. 

“Why did they stop?” you asked out loud with a tilt of your head as uncertainty filled the room like a blanket of fog as everything was at a standstill. 

“A Jedi?” Bo-Katan questioned as she studied the security screen of the control panel. You quickly glanced over in disbelief watching the figure battle the droids one by one. You knew what this meant... and you weren’t sure if you were ready for it, even though you knew all along that this has been Din’s and yours goal. 

“D-Din,” you said softly as you looked over to him wondering how all of this was settling with him. Everything was happening so fast…

“I-I know,” he managed to get out as he looked over at you. “It’s going to be ok.” 

Just then Gideon bolted up with a blaster taking aim at Bo-Katan at the controls and proceeded to shoot her. She fell to the ground with a thud and then he took aim at Grogu who was now standing. 

“No,” you yelled just as Din made a dive for him using his body as a shield from the blaster fire. Lifting your blaster, you aimed at Gideon. “Drop it!” 

He then tucked the blaster under his chin, but before he could pull the trigger Cara knocked the weapon out of his grasp and knocked him out cold. You landed a quick angry kick to him before you made your way over to Din. Grogu had pulled himself up onto the control panel in the meantime and was watching the screen as the Jedi continued to make his path of destruction. 

“He knows,” you said softly as you reached up and pulled off your helmet once again. Din grabbed Grogu and began to walk toward the locked doors with you by his side.

“Open the doors,” he demanded but nobody made a move to do so. 

“He said, open the doors,” you repeated firmly as you glanced at the controls to look for the correct button as you put your blasters away. 

“Are you both crazy?” Fennec asked with her blaster still pointed to the door. You finally found the right one and pushed it, causing the doors to slide open with a woosh and in came a hooded figure with a green lightsaber. He disarmed it and pushed his hood back revealing a young male. 

“Are you a Jedi?” Din asked as Grogu peaked from behind the chair he was placed on. 

“I am,” the stranger answered as he held out a hand toward the creature you now considered your child. “Come, little one.” 

Grogu let out a soft coo as he stared back at both you and Din and it was at that point you began to feel yourself began to crack at the seams. You both had just gotten him back and now you would have to let him go. 

“He doesn’t want to go with you,” Din told the Jedi in what you knew was a last ditch effort at keeping the child with you, but you knew deep down you both knew letting him go with the Jedi was the right thing to do. 

“He wants your permission,” the Jedi explained as his eyes darted between the two of you, “He is strong with the Force, but talent without training is nothing. I will give my life to protect the Child, but he will not be safe until be maters his abilities.”

“H-His name is Grogu,” you spoke softly as Din went to pick up Grogu, holding him so he could look down at him as he held him in his arms for what would probably be the last time. 

“Hey, go on… That’s who you belong with. He’s one of your kind,” Din said causing your heart to pound painfully as you watched the two of them. He was a father saying goodbye to his son and after everything the three of you had been through, you knew this was hurting him. “I’ll see you again, I promise.” 

Just then Grogu reached his tiny three fingered hand up and ran it across the metal of Din’s helmet. The small and gentle gesture caused tears to breech your eyes once more. Din then reached up slowly and began to lift his helmet off much to your surprise until it was completely off. Letting out a small gasp you weren’t sure what to do with the scene in front of you. A part of you wanted to look away in respect, but another part of you wanted to lay eyes on the man that you had come to love. Instead of looking directly at Din you settled your eyes on Grogu and watched as his brown eyes shifted and studied the face of the man that had protected him for so long. Reaching up once again he laid his tiny green hand along the stubble of Din’s cheek causing the man to close his eyes and savor the moment. It dawned on you that Din must have been just a boy since the last time he had ever felt that type of physical affection. 

“Here,” said Din as he shyly looked over at you and handed you the child. You took him in your grasp and laid a kiss upon his wrinkly forehead like you have done a hundred times before, as a tear slipped down your cheek. He had seen your face plenty of times before, but he stared at you just as hard as he had with Din, as if he was trying to memorize every single detail and you found yourself doing the same. 

“You be good for the Jedi, ok?” you said as he gave your braid a little tug, like he had done so many times before, causing you to let out a small chuckle. “Listen, learn, and become strong for me, ok?” 

You let out a shaky breath as Grogu gave a coo in understanding. 

“You’ll have to keep a close eye on him because he’ll practically eat anything he can get his little grubby fingers on,” you warned the Jedi as you glanced at him, “Won’t you, you little womp-rat?” 

_Our little womp-rat._

You gave him one last kiss before handing him back to Din, adverting your gaze so you wouldn’t see his face, at least not fully. 

“Alright, pal, it’s time to go,” Din told him as he looked down at him once more, “Don’t be afraid.” 

He placed Grogu down and slowly stood back up and as he did you slowly slipped your hand into his and gave it a squeeze. He slowly looked down at your hands and gave a gently squeeze back, glad to have you standing there with him, so he didn’t have to go though this alone. Just as Grogu finished hugging his shin a astromech droid came rolling in and began communicating something to the child letting out various beeps. 

After a few seconds the Jedi picked Grogu up after he gave a nod to Din. “May the Force be with you.” 

And in a blink of a teary eye they were already half way down the hall before you called out to them. 

“Wait!” you turned toward Din as you pulled your hand out of his, still trying not to look up into his face the best you could. “Din, where’s the ball? The ball from the shift gear you found in the Razor Crest wreckage. The one the kid always wanted?”

Din reached into his pocket and pulled it out with a smirk as he too tried his best to hold back his tears. 

“Hey, kid,” he said as he held out the silver ball in front of him between his thumb and index finger. The Jedi turned around with Grogu facing the two of you. The child's eyes light up when the shiny ball came into view. He slowly raised his little hand and closed his eyes in concentration causing the ball to fly out of Din’s grasp faster than he had ever done before. He let out one of his little laughs as he held the ball with happiness and then they continued on their way to the elevator, and just like that they were gone and you felt the tears you had been holding back hit your cheeks. 

Several long seconds had passed before Bo-Katan spoke up. It was good to know she was ok from the blaster fire she had received from Moff Gideon not that long ago. 

“Come, let’s take inventory of the ship,” she said to Kosha as they head to the door of the bridge since they we’re planning to take over the ship anyway. 

“We’ll come along. We have to load Gideon onto Boba’s ship, anyhow,” Cara added as her and Fennec went to go pick up his body. Between the two of them they were able to lift him up quite easily and soon it was just you and Din left on the bridge standing there awkwardly, trying to process that the child was really gone. 

“I-I should go help,” you said after a minute, “You deserve some time on your own.”

You wiped at your face once more as you took a step forward, but a hand caught your shoulder to stop you from going any further. 

“P-please stay,” he begged softly, his voice unhindered by his helmet music to your ears. “I want to see your face.”

Your heart skipped a beat as you tilted your head to the side as you continued to stare towards the exit. “You’ve seen my face plenty of times, Din.”

“No,” he was quick to answer as he turned you around towards him by force. “I haven’t, never like this. Please, cyar'ika, look at me...”

He had called you sweetheart... You kept your eyes adverted toward the ground wanting to give him one last chance to change his mind. “Are you sure this is what you want?” 

His hands, now bare and free of his gloves, came to rest along the sides of your head. “More than anything,” he reassured as his thumbs rubbed gently across your cheek bones. “I promise.” 

With a shallow breath you slowly lifted your head as you pulled off your own gloves so you could lay your hands upon his and for the first time ever you stared up into his brown eyes. It was so much better than anything you had ever imagined. A shy smile made its why on your lips as your eyes roamed over ever inch of his tan face, from his lips to his nose, as he stared at you. Lifting a hand, you used the back of your fingers to graze the stubble across his cheek and chin and with your thumb you wiped away any remaining tears he had shed for Grogu’s departure. 

“Maker,” you whispered with a chuckle as you lifted both hands and ran them lightly through his curly brown locks, wondering what the texture felt like. “You’re beautiful.” 

His next actions caught you by surprise as he removed his hands from the sides of your face only to wrap his arms around your waist as he pulled you into a warm hug, his chin resting on top of your head as he held you close. You had lost track of how many times you had dreamed about being held in this arms like this, though maybe you had imagined it with a little less armor in the way. 

“I know we had originally agreed that you would stay for however long it took to find Grogu his kind, but I can’t imagine traveling anywhere in the galaxy without you,” he said as he pulled away slightly to look down at you. “Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum.” 

_He loved you. He loved you back._

“Where ever you go, I go, Din,” you told him as you raised up on your tip toes, your lips barely brushing over his. “Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum. Whatever happens, wherever we go, we’ll do it together.” 

He took the last step and pushed his lips against yours in the sweetest kiss you had ever experienced. It lasted a few seconds before Din pulled away shyly with a small smile. 

“I’ve been wanting to do that ever since I met you on Tatooine, “ he confessed as his nose brushed against yours lightly. 

“Is that so?” you questioned with a chuckle. “Then you better make up for lost time.” 

He did just that as he pulled you into another kiss, this one more passionate than the one before. 

**Author's Note:**

> I would totally be down to writing something more steamy, but it was Din’s first kiss, ya know? I had really wished that Din had given Grogu the ball in the season finale, so that's what compelled me to write this.


End file.
